Corey Holcomb Says TMZ Reports Led To Loss Of Stand-Up Gigs
Corey Holcomb Says TMZ Reporting Led To Loss Of Stand-Up Gigs

Corey Holcomb is one of the most controversial comedians working today, and a 2024 incident between a fellow comedian that turned violent continues to haunt him. Corey Holcomb said that TMZ’s reporting of the incident between him and Cristina Payne has led to the loss of job opportunities.
Last week on The Corey Holcomb 5150 Show podcast episode titled “Love is Cursed by Monogamy,” with co-hosts Darlene Ortiz & Kraig Smith, Holcomb took a moment to address TMZ’s reporting on the dustup with Cristina Payne.
At one point during the chat, Holcomb took time to address the outlet, which recently reported on a surveillance video that appears to show Holcomb striking Payne in the face. In the rant, Holcomb admitted that the outlet’s focus on the incident has negatively impacted his comedy career.
“By the way, thank you, TMZ, I lost another gig today,” Holcomb began. “Gary, Indiana, on the boat. Y’all got me good. I’m losing gigs. People are saying, ‘Corey, the optics of that video,’ yeah, y’all got me good. I’m about to be out here on welfare.”
In 2024, Holcomb and Payne crossed paths at the Hollywood Improv. According to Payne, who shared her side of the story with TMZ, a roasting session that typically takes place at the venue apparently didn’t agree with Holcomb and motivated him to take the action he did.
Chatter about the incident had been circulating for years, but Holcomb denied it. In the video, it appears he’s no longer taking that stance and has instead used it to blast TMZ for upending his career, extending to merchandise sales and beyond.
To see the video in question, courtesy of The Bizi Room, click here. We do warn that the video shows a woman being struck, so proceed carefully.
To watch The Corey Holcomb 5150 Show episode where he blasts TMZ, we’ve posted it below. Go to the 7:00-minute mark to hear the portion related to this report.
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Photo: Getty